2 questions regarding getting started with visual novels.

I'm a complete and total rookie in all of this. I figured visual novels might be the best thing to get started with, since they require little more coding than the ability to play still images, text overlay, music, and sound effects in a way that vaguely resembles a cutscene, as well as the ability to program in branching dialogue paths. I'll be doing that stuff in nearly every game anyway, so this seems like a good starting position to cut my teeth on.

So here are my two questions to help get me started:

1. Are there any unity tutorials on Youtube that are dedicated specifically to teaching you how to do visual novels, and which focus ONLY on the coding necessary for that? Most tutorials I've found seem to start out teaching things like gravity, collision detection, etc., none of which would be useful to making a visual novel. That's not to say I don't want to learn these things eventually, just not at the moment.

2. Are there any character packs on the unity asset store (preferably free, but I'll take reasonably priced) that provide still images of characters in various emotional poses, in order to save me the trouble of having to draw these characters from the ground up? Visual novels are a big enough genre that surely there must be a few character packs out there dedicated to serving that genre! But I sure as hell can't find any. I can find a few 3D-model character packs dedicated to fantasy RPGs, but not any 2D sprites designed for visual novels.

While we're at it, can I also have some buyable background images?

While I'm willing to pay a reasonable price (e.g. $20 - $25) for some characters & backgrounds that will go in the finished product, I was also hoping I could find some free assets that are dull and boring as fudge, to use to help me get the hang of this.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

1. I would look for user interface and dialogue systems tutorials.

2. Just filter for 2D and characters and start browsing, I've seen a few packs where you can combine hair and clothes but I don't know if you'll find enough variety to make a full game.

 

1. I was kind of hoping for a direct link.

2. For a genre as popular as this, surely there's got to be SOME kind of character pack!

 

Unity - Let’s Make a Visual Novel Series - Full playlist

Top free Visual Novel game assets - itch.io

Top paid Visual Novel game assets - itch.io

Characters on Visual-Novelty - DeviantArt

 

Thanks. What about location images to use as backgrounds?

 

The itch.io assets include backgrounds.

Visual-Novelty Home Page lists all their Gallery Folders, of which Backgrounds is one.

 

Are there any character packs that show pairs of the included characters kissing, embracing, or otherwise showing affection towards each other?